Abuse Care Home Exposed By Daily Record To Shut

A CARE home exposed by a Record investigation for abusing elderly residents is to close. Davenport Nursing Home has such an appalling reputation and is in such a poor state of repair that residents are rejecting offers to go there.

Owners Fours Seasons have refused to give it the cash injection it needs to get it up to an acceptable standard.

And watchdogs have condemned it for being smelly, filthy and poorly staffed.

Letters went out to the remaining 47 residents at the start of February, telling them they would have to find alternative accommodation before the May closure.

And staff have been told they will have to move to another Four Seasons home or be out of a job.

Davenport became the source of a scandal after our reporter uncovered verbal and psychological abuse at the home. Posing as a care assistant, they filmed the workers taunting and screaming at elderly residents.

One heartless care worker, Leeanne Cuthbertson, abused the residents and told two of them: “I’ll punch you through the wall if you don’t shut up.”

Four staff were axed and the manager resigned as a result of the investigation.

The home stank of urine and regularly ran out of hot water and rubber gloves.

Staff were not vetted or properly trained.

Watchdogs the Care Commission ordered Four Seasons to clean up its act but the latest inspection report on the Glasgow home revealed it was still falling well below acceptable standards of care.

The Care Commission recently upheld complaints from residents that the food was dire, the staffing levels were too low and incontinence care was inadequate.

And the report said inspectors found “the overall environment in the home to be very poor”. They also found staff were not properly trained.

Yesterday, a Four Seasons spokesman claimed they could not afford to keep it open and blamed Glasgow City Council for not paying them enough.

In 2006, it was revealed Four Seasons had been the subject of a staggering 279 official complaints in Scotland.

More than 80 per cent of complaints were upheld or partially upheld by the Care Commission.

Last year, Four Seasons were shamed for leaving an old man to die of malnutrition.

George Fairlie, 74, went for days without food and water and had pressure sores so badly infected they had become gangrenous.

He died weeks later and sheriff David Pender slammed Alexandra Care Home in Paisley for failing to treat him properly.

The Four Seasons spokesman added: “We took the decision to close Davenport. The building and infrastructure require significant investment to raise the facilities to acceptable, modern standards and it is not financially practical to spend the money needed.

“We are working closely with Glasgow City Council and the Care Commission to support the residents and their families in finding alternative care.”